Who are the key players in Pakistan’s power dynamics? What role is given to the judicial system and civil society? This report by Jayshree Bajoria offers a brief outline of the political power dynamics in Pakistan, including the traditional role of the military and intelligence agency. It follows by providing a detailed explanation as to other key players which have emerged as dominant stakeholders in Pakistan’s power dynamics.
Since its creation in 1947, Pakistan’s army and intelligence agency have traditionally been the key players at the top of the power structure. They have mostly shared the power with militant Islamic groups who have been both pro- and anti-government. The legacy of Musharraf has varied from fighting terrorism, economic reform as well as promoting the development of strong influential civil society. However, since Pervez Musharraf gained power through a military coup which he maintained for nine years, Pakistan has been plunged into a political turmoil.
Initially, Musharraf began by a reformist agenda which included liberalising the economy and the media, and tackling the issue of militants in the tribal areas. However, his un-democratic actions in 2007 catalysed the development of pro-democratic protests. These actions included:
- The repression of the judiciary in an attempt to suspend the constitution and thus rule by decree.
- The oppression of the media by curbing the law, arresting and abducting journalists and attacking media properties.
However, pro-democratic protests resulted in the emergence of the country’s lawyers and civil society groups as key player in the power structure of Pakistan. The article outlines five key institutional players which have developed as dominant actors in Pakistan’s political power configuration. These were:
- Supreme Court and the Judiciary: The Constitution upholds the separation of the judiciary from the executive and its independence as an authority that endorses the rule of law. Nevertheless, the executive has and is using the judicial system in order to guarantee its allies obtain and maintain key posts.
- Civil Society Organisations: Pakistani civil society consists of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations, think-tanks, trade unions, cultural groups, and informal citizen organisations. Despite on-going criticisms of the limited political influence permitted to such civil society groups, they are increasingly establishing themselves as key actors in policymaking and implementation.
- Political Organisations: The political arena in Pakistan is compromised of over ninety political organisations including ethnically-based, religious, and secular parties. The existence of so many political parties resulted in fragmentation within the political organisations and hindered radical social change as political parties move towards each other in the ideology they uphold.
- Media Organisations: In a country where more than half of the population is illiterate, Pakistan has had to develop its written media, radio and television broadcasts in order to maximise its coverage across the country and to all levels of society. Despite this, government actions to control and influence the media through curbing the law, imprisonment and abductions of various journalists, the media has emerged as key stakeholder of the political Pakistani scene.
- Stock Market and the Economy: During his tenure as President, Musharraf carried out various economic reforms which have gained support. By keeping their investments in Pakistan, national and international investors have emerged as dominant players in the political arena.
